Racism without Racists: Color-Blind Racism and the Persistence of Racial Inequality in America

366 Pages·2013·1.99 MB·English

by  Eduardo Bonilla-Silva

Racism without Racists
Racism without Racists
Color-Blind Racism and the Persistence of
Racial Inequality in America
Fourth Edition
Eduardo Bonilla-Silva
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Publication Data Bonilla-Silva, Eduardo, 1962– Racism without racists : color-blind racism and the
persistence of racial inequality in America / Eduardo Bonilla-Silva.—Fourth edition.
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-4422-2054-6 (cloth : alk. paper)—ISBN 978-1-4422-2055-3 (pbk. : alk. paper)—ISBN 978-1-
4422-2056-0 (electronic) 1. Minorities—United States—Social conditions. 2. Minorities—United States—
Economic conditions. 3. Racism—United States. 4. United States—Race relations. I. Title.
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Printed in the United States of America
I do not have many real friends. I have plenty of acquaintances, but not many
people that I truly trust. In my friendship kingdom, very few are allowed in. To
them I dedicate this edition. Their names are irrelevant in mass communications
like this one, but they all know who they are. These are the people that are
indispensable to me. They all have been there for me during tough times such as
the death of my brother, during a recent operation, when I have needed advice on
work or life issues, or during the many times I have made mistakes in my life.
My blood family is peculiar, but this, my other family, bonded by love and
solidarity, counts as much as my “real” family. At the helm of my nonblood
family is the only person who loves me “for real” and all the way, my wife,
Mary Hovsepian. Countless people question why we are still together. The
answer is that my Mary is a truly exceptional person. We have been together
twenty-five years and, honestly, it feels like today is still 1988. Mary, I am not
the best, but you and I together add to more than two. Thanks for loving me
despite my silliness and volatility. I will try to be better to you in the next
twenty-five years.
Contents
Contents
Acknowledgments
Preface to the Fourth Edition
Chapter 1: The Strange Enigma of Race in Contemporary America
Chapter 2: The New Racism
Chapter 3: The Central Frames of Color-Blind Racism
Chapter 4: The Style of Color Blindness
Chapter 5: “I Didn’t Get That Job Because of a Black Man”
Chapter 6: Peeking Inside the (White) House of Color Blindness
Chapter 7: Are All Whites Refined Archie Bunkers?
Chapter 8: Are Blacks Color Blind, Too?
Chapter 9: E Pluribus Unum, or the Same Old Perfume in a New Bottle?
Chapter 10: Race Matters in Obamerica
Chapter 11: “The (Color-Blind) Emperor Has No Clothes”
Selected Bibliography
About the Author
Acknowledgments
The last words my mother told me before I left Puerto Rico in 1984 were: “Son,
in the United States you need to walk and behave like a king.” She also told me
something to the effect that no matter what the “gringos” said about me, I always
had to remember that “I was as good if not better than them.” At the time, I did
not understand her advice. Over twenty years later, I fully understand her
enormous wisdom. In this country, racial “others” of dark complexion are
always viewed as incapable of doing much; we are regarded and treated as
secondary actors only good for doing beds in hotels or working in fast-food
restaurants. Therefore, my mother’s advice (“walk and behave like a king”)
helped me develop the much-needed emotional coraza (shield) to repel all the
racial nonsense of “gringolandia” (Frida Kahlo was so right about this country!).
Thanks Mami!
This coraza has come in handy in my sociological career, because at every step
of the way, I have encountered people who have tried to block my path one way
or another. Fortunately, I have also encountered along the way many people who
have helped me in this, my second country. And, in truth, my experience with
good and generous people has outweighed that with the bad ones. Many of the
former have seen me without my coraza and know the real me. At my alma
mater (UW–Madison), professors such as Pamela Oliver, Russell Middleton, and
Erik Wright were exceedingly generous with me. So were professors Sam Cohn
(now my colleague at Texas A&M), Gay Seidman, and Denis O’Hearn, all of
whom I served with as a teaching assistant. Wright and Oliver were even kind
enough to read and send me feedback on a working paper I wrote two years after
leaving Wisconsin. The paper appeared in 1997 in ASR with the title
“Rethinking Racism: Toward a Structural Interpretation.” But the most
important sociological force that affected me at Wisconsin was my adviser,
Professor Charles Camic. He was the perfect adviser for me. Professor Camic
was knowledgeable, kind, savvy, and had an uncanny understanding of the
business side of sociology. Then and now, whenever I have a “big (sociological)
issue” at hand, he is one of the first people I consult. Thanks, Chas, for being
there for me. I hope I am able to repay you in some way.
At Michigan there were a number of colleagues who were very nice to me:
Mark Chesler, Julia Adams, Howard Kimeldorf, Muge Gocek, Silvia Pedraza,
Jim House, David Williams, and a few others. However, the people who helped
me navigate that “peculiar institution” were professors Donald Deskins Jr.,
Alford Young II, and Carla O’Connor. These three colleagues were more than
my colleagues: they were my friends and allies. Thanks Don, Al, and Carla! I
hope the sociological gods allow us to work together one more time before our
time expires.
At my sociological house, Texas A&M University, almost everyone has helped
me. In my first year there, I received more feedback and love than I did at
Michigan in five years! Thus, I thank the entire sociology department at A&M
for providing me almost unconditional support. I hope I have not disappointed
“y’all.” Also deserving special mention are two former sociological Aggies,
professors Benigno Aguirre (University of Delaware) and John Boies of the U.S.
Census Bureau. They both enriched my sociological and nonsociological life. I
miss having lunch with John and coffee with Benigno! Last but not least at
A&M, my three outstanding graduate students, David G. Embrick (whom I owe
many, many, many thanks for his steadfast loyalty and hard work), Paul
Ketchum, and Karen Glover, helped me with some of the data and analysis and
have supported me beyond the call of duty. Thanks for all your help and support,
and I hope to read your own books soon!
Other people who have loved me de gratis in sociological Amerikkka are Joe R.
Feagin, Hernán Vera, Judith Blau, Tukufu Zuberi, Hayward Horton, Ashley
Doane, Gianpaolo Baiocchi, Joane Nagel, Margaret Andersen, Cedric Herring,
Abel Valenzuela, Rogelio Saenz, Tyrone A. Forman, Amanda E. Lewis, Walter
Allen, Eddie Telles, Michael O. Emerson, Paul Wong, Jose Padin, Veronica
Dujon, Carla Goar, William Darity, Geoffrey Ward, Nadia Kim, Ramiro
Martinez, Tom Guglielmo, Moon-Kie Jung, and Larry Bobo, among others. I
also wish to thank the folks of the Association of Black Sociologists and the
ASA Section on Racial and Ethnic Minorities for supporting me over the past
five years.
The data for this book were gathered while I was a professor at Michigan. I
thank all the people involved with the 1997 Survey of Social Attitudes of
College Students (Amanda, Tyrone, and all the undergraduate students who
helped me out!) and the 1998 Detroit-Area Study (DAS). The 1997 survey was
done partly with funding from the ASA-NSF (National Science Foundation)
Fund for the Advancement of the Discipline. The 1998 DAS was done with
Michigan funds. However, I want to thank Jim House and Earl Lewis for
funding the interview component for the 1998 DAS. Without those interviews,
the 1998 DAS would have been just another run-of-the-mill survey on racial
attitudes.
A significant amount of the drafting of this book was done while I was a
visiting research fellow at the University of Houston Law Center in the fall of
2000, under the auspices of Professor Michael A. Olivas, director of the Institute
for Higher Education Law and Governance. Michael generously hosted me when
I was still an unproven commodity. Thanks, Michael. I owe you a lot! While I
was in Houston, Professor Russell L. Curtis Jr. from the University of Houston
Sociology Department provided me shelter and friendship. I will never forget
our long discussions on almost every possible subject. Thanks, Russ!
The final drafting of this book was done at Stanford University, where I was
invited to spend a year (2002–2003) as a Hewlett research fellow at the Research
Institute for Comparative Studies of Race and Ethnicity, headed by Hazel R.
Markus and George Fredrickson. I also wish to thank Leanne Issak, Awino
Kuerth, and Dorothy Steele for helping me with all my silly problems during my
time there.
This book benefited enormously from the incisive review of Professor Margaret
Andersen from the University of Delaware. Maggie read this manuscript from
beginning to end and made valuable suggestions that helped me make it a better
—although still controversial—book. Thanks, Margaret, for doing such a terrific
job!
Finally, I want to dedicate this book to five very special people in my life. First,
to my brother, Pedro Juan Bonilla-Silva, who passed away in 2002. Pedro, I
wish I had been able to tell you how much I love you, but a bit of machismo and
a lot of family history prevented me from doing so. I will always regret that.
Second, to my father, Jacinto Bonilla. I know I do not say it often, but I respect,
admire, and love you. Third, to my sister, Karen Bonilla-Silva, the youngest,
wisest, and nicest-looking in the Bonilla-Silva clan. Fourth, to my son, Omar
Francisco Bonilla, who transcribed one of the DAS interviews quoted in this
book. Omi, know that I love you and am very proud of your scholarly and
artistic accomplishments. Finally, I dedicate this book to the love of my life,
Mary Hovsepian. We have marinated our partnership for fifteen years (now, in
2013, twenty-five years) and it is still as sweet and strong as the first day we
formalized it. Thanks, Mary. I am eagerly waiting to see what the next fifteen
years bring us.